Spurs notebook: Ginobili’s time on sideline figures to grow

The right hamstring strain that knocked Spurs guard Manu Ginobili out of Friday’s game against the Clippers is going to keep him on the sidelines for weeks, rather than days, according to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

The 35-year-old two-time All-Star suffered the injury on a drive to the basket late in the first quarter. He did not return, and the Spurs will be without him for an extended period, perhaps into the playoffs.

“It’s more than days,” Popovich said. “It’s more like weeks, unfortunately. It’s a huge blow for us because he’s the guy that allows our second team to do what they’ve been doing all year long. It’s a huge loss for that group, and in game situations, it’s a tough one because he’s one of two guys, he and Tony (Parker), are the creators who make things happen for everybody else on the court.

“It’s an unfortunate loss at this point of the season.”

Popovich said Ginobili’s response to treatment will determine whether he will be ready to play by the time the playoffs begin. The regular season concludes April 17, with the first playoff games scheduled for April 20.

“It could (stretch into the playoffs),” Popovich said. “We don’t know how his leg is going to react. We’re doing everything we can.”

Ginobili has missed 14 games this season with a variety of ailments, including a strain of his left hamstring.

Ginobili’s loss was felt in Sunday’s game against the Heat, who double-teamed Parker on nearly every pick-and-roll play.

“Without Manu, Tony is a guy who has to generate things for us, and they pretty much took him out with all their double-teams and hard hedges,” Popovich said. “We didn’t generate offense anywhere else except through Timmy (Duncan).”

Time to sit?: Sunday’s game was the first in a stretch of four in five nights that will culminate Thursday in Oklahoma City against the Thunder. Game No. 2 is Monday night in Memphis against a physical Grizzlies team trying to claw its way to home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

In light of Popovich’s past practice of resting key players during such stretches, Duncan believes he may have to fight Popovich to suit up against the Grizzlies.

“Yeah,” Duncan said when asked directly if he may have to filibuster his coach to convince him to let him play.

Still, Duncan understands the importance of remaining fresh.

“It’s about health for us,” he said. “We just need to stay healthy. We need to keep Tony and myself and all these guys, keep them healthy and on the floor, rotate those minutes and see what we can get out of it.”